


it took me by surprise (I know you felt it, too)

by jessequicksters



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics), Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Cooking, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Valentine's Day, the author doesn't actually know what a Whole Foods is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:21:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29397576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessequicksters/pseuds/jessequicksters
Summary: In which Clark and Bruce fall in love in between study sessions, track races, grocery shopping at Whole Foods and romantic student dinner dates, burnt lasagna and all.
Relationships: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne
Comments: 10
Kudos: 56
Collections: Favorite Bruce/Clark





	it took me by surprise (I know you felt it, too)

**Author's Note:**

> based on a request by boogiewoogieworm on tumblr <3
> 
> title from this magic moment by jay & the americans

“Guy like you can’t get a date for the dance?” Clark says, immediately regretting it when he notes the tension in Bruce’s jaw—as if his black turtleneck is constricting even tighter around him.

Before Bruce replies, Clark’s already apologizing, “That’s not what I meant. It’s just that you could—”

“Draw even more attention to myself?” Bruce says, closing his chemistry book shut, as he takes a sip of his coffee in the library canteen. “No thanks.”

“Guess you wouldn’t want to fuel the rumour mill,” Clark says, looking around at the group of cheerleaders walking past, waving at Bruce. One of them is wearing lipstick so pink it looks like the colour of some FDA-banned chemical.

Bruce waves back, with no real interest. “You’re the biggest gossip on campus, Kent. How many times is that grad student going to keep trying to get you to interview me?”

Clark sighs. “Until he graduates. Or gets a job. Out of state.”

“Thought so. So, no dates.”

“Okay,” Clark says, feeling a strange—lightness—in his chest, all of a sudden. “For you, at least.”

Bruce laughs for the first time since the beginning of their six-hour study session. Delirious. Exam season turns them into mush. Not much long to go, though, until the end of sophomore year.

-

It’s the biggest track competition of senior year—the type of competition that determines people’s futures, their careers and the rest of their lives—and Clark is nowhere to be seen.

Bruce is sitting by the bleachers with Lois, who broke up with Clark last semester but remains friendly, despite everything. She’s visibly anxious, this afternoon.

“I need these pictures of Clark for my job applications,” she says, fidgeting with her camera settings, in between taking pictures of the relay racers she isn’t particularly interested in.

“I thought you were applying to current affairs?” Bruce asks, eyes glancing towards the field.

“Yeah, but a diverse portfolio is good. Also, you know what the job market’s like.”

Bruce nods in feigned understanding. No, he doesn’t know, actually. He sympathizes with Lois, though—thinks of ways he can put in a good word for her someday, maybe.

He then notices Clark running out to the field, glasses still on his face, waving at his coach who isn’t looking amused. Bruce manages to catch his eye, points at his own face—until Clark gets the message.

He thinks he notices him blush, as he takes off his glasses and gives Bruce a thumbs up. Silly Kent, he thinks.

“Head in the clouds,” Bruce says, as Lois turns towards him, serious.

“He always seems grounded when he’s with you.”

Bruce stills, not knowing what to say about that. So he does what he does best and deflects, trying not to think about all the times Clark has paid extra attention to him—when he’s rambling about shareholders in the way no twenty-year-old kid does; or in the way he’s talking about his science experiments and additional courses he’s taking for no credit. Clark listens to it all.

Throughout his whole life, Bruce has learned to tell the difference between those pretending to give a damn, and those who really do. The latter doesn’t come by often. What are the odds, then, when the cutest, most honest-to-god sweetheart on campus, happens to be his best friend?

-

Valentine’s Day rolls around the corner faster than anyone can expect, in their final ever college semester. Clark and Bruce are going around the campus Whole Foods for their irregular shopping trips. Its usually prompted by Clark making a reference to some sort of (positively normal) food item that Bruce deems completely alien, thus: the mandatory trip of Whole Foods.

“I never knew there were so many types of corn,” Bruce says, picking up the colourful cob and examining it.

“That’s what it used to look like before we messed around with it,” Clark says, putting it back in its place. “Anyways, I think this is all I need for this weekend.”

“For your sad, Valentine’s meal alone?”

“I’m trying a new recipe,” Clark says, pushing the grocery cart along, “just so happens to be that it’s on Valentine’s Day.”

Bruce stands in between him and the cashier, gripping onto the front of the cart, expensive watch flashing on his wrist.

“I'll pay for it,” he says, which earns him a scoff. He should be used to this response by now, but he still tries.

“You never listen,” Clark says.

“You bought enough groceries for two.”

“I didn't—“ he stammers, feeling the heat creeping up his neck, “—I just have a big appetite. You know that.”

“I'll be your taste-tester,” Bruce says, simply. “I can appreciate a range of cuisines. Lasagna sounds great.”

And that's when Clark realizes that Bruce is saying everything except the only thing he's trying to say.

“Are you—do you want to spend Valentine's Day with me?

Bruce's eyes flicker to the side, before meeting Clark's in relief.

“I thought you'd never ask.”

Clark isn't sure what brand of twisted mind game Bruce Wayne is playing, but Clark can't say no to it. He realizes, then, that he's been waiting to ask that question for the past four years. All those moments spent getting to know each other, meeting from opposite ends, learning from one another and relying on each other when it mattered.

Oh, goodness. They've been falling in love.

-

The lasagna turns out great, if not a little charred, from the fact that Bruce has Clark pinned against the kitchen counter, making out with him like there’s no tomorrow as he clutches onto the sides of his apron.

It’s a modest apartment, so it doesn’t take much for the smoke alarm to go off—and when it does, they take their lasagna up to the roof of their building, along with the most expensive bottle of wine Bruce could find on campus. They sit in easy silence, glancing at each other in between bites.

“So, I assume you’ll be going back to Gotham then, after graduation?”

Ah. The dreaded question. It’s never really been a question, though, not for Bruce. He nods.

“And you? Back to Kansas?”

Clark shakes his head, “I got an internship in Metropolis. Daily Planet.”

Bruce smiles, genuine and proud. “You would’ve kept that from me until the day we said goodbye, if I hadn’t asked.”

“We’re not saying goodbye,” Clark says, which sends a wave of calm all over Bruce. He doesn’t feel like this often. Steady. Whole. In love with his whole goddamn heart; it fills his ribcage, sinks into every breath he takes when he’s around Clark, a taste on his lips he never wants to forget.

So yeah, they’re not saying goodbye.

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is @jessequicksters for more superbat content! I take requests occasionally, though they may be a year late as this one was, but feel free to say hi!


End file.
